Home Improvement

The Importance of Skylights: What You Need to Know

Skylights are increasingly becoming popular among many building owners. Not only do they offer numerous benefits to your home or office but to the environment too.

Are you thinking of installing a skylight too? Today we’ll discuss all you need to know about skylights including why installing them is a smart move.

How Do Skylights Work?


Skylights are usually installed on roofs and they feature a white acrylic dome. When the sun shines on to this dome, light is consequently transmitted into the interior space. And the best part is this happens evenly and consistently.

The end result is an adequate flow of sunlight with minimal glare. You don’t have to worry about excess sunlight entering your space. As this can prove to be detrimental to your health, it’s good to know a skylight is a wise purchase for your health.

Also, you have the option of adding a layer of diffusing white translucent acrylic. This layer acts by reducing the amount of heat that enters your space in relation to the light.

Benefits of Skylights


Enjoy Natural Light

By installing a skylight, you can instantly brighten up your room with natural light.

There’s something appealing about a room with adequate natural light. This is because sunlight provides a true natural light as opposed to the yellowish tint associated with artificial lights. As a result, the general lighting and ambience of the room is significantly improved allowing for a more attractive living space.

Because more natural light is entering a particular room, it means you don’t have to use as many artificial lighting sources. In certain cases, you might not need artificial sources of lighting altogether. As a result, you can expect a decline in your energy bills.

Enjoy More Light

Aside from enjoying natural light in your space, installing skylights allows for more light to enter a room. Skylights are basically windows on your roof. So, if you want to significantly increase the amount of light entering a room, install a skylight.

Energy Efficiency

Do you want to save yourself some money? Consider installing skylights because they’re known to be energy efficient.

Why?

More sunlight entering a room means that your home is heated and cooled naturally. This will lower both your heating and lighting bills. But note that this can only happen if your skylight is installed correctly which is why you need a professional for the job.

Increase Ventilation

Some skylights are controlled with electric remotes, so you have the option to open them at any time to provide your space with fresh air. Even if your home is air conditioned, this fresh air is quite essential.

Add Value to Your Home


Aside from saving you money and preserving the environment, some people purchase skylights for aesthetics. They’re deemed a luxurious amenity that’ll make your home look trendy and more attractive.

The value of your home is increased if you install skylights—something that you’ll appreciate when you decide to sell your home.

Health Benefits

Installing skylights increases natural light in a space which comes with plenty of health benefits. As you’re probably aware, natural sunlight is known to nourish your psyche as well as reduce your stress and anxiety levels to improve your mood.

In addition, natural sunlight stimulates the body’s production if Vitamin D which is crucial for your overall health.

Are you feeling sick? Sunlight can facilitate a speedy recovery. Also, sunlight can help reduce your blood pressure if you happen to suffer from hypertension. You can enjoy all these benefits by simply installing skylights in your home or office.

Minimise Bacterial Build Up

Still on the topic of health benefits, sunlight is a known effective disinfectant. Damp areas facilitate the build-up of moulds and bacteria which are some of the causes of respiratory illnesses in individuals.

Since skylights allow for more natural light to enter a room. This means that less harmful organisms will grow in your home.

Types of Skylights


Now that you know how skylights work including their benefits, it’s time to discuss the different types so you know which type best suits your needs.

Ventilating Skylights

Ventilating skylights are the most common type that’s widely preferred by many people. Not only will they provide your rooms with adequate sunlight but ventilation too.

Bear in mind that the type you pick also depends on the intended application. Which room do you want to install them in?

Ventilation skylights are ideally suited for bathrooms and kitchens. This is because excess moisture is found in these areas. You’ll need more sunlight to prevent accumulation of bacteria.

Fixed Skylights

Unlike their ventilating counterparts, fixed skylights aren’t designed to provide ventilation. Pick this type if you’re not really fussy about wanting ventilation in a certain room. But more than anything, fixed skylights are ideally suited for installing in those hard to reach places.

Fixed skylights are the ones to pick if you have extremely high ceilings. And the icing on the cake is that you’ll also enjoy a spectacular view of the sky!

Tubular Skylights

If you don’t have much space in your home, then consider purchasing tubular skylights. As the name suggests, this skylight features a tubular design making them much more compact. This tube is designed to redirect sunlight down its shaft by utilising optical techniques. You’ll also appreciate how easy they are to install.

Conclusion

From the above it’s clear how beneficial installing skylights can be—both to your building, your health and the environment. That certainly sounds like something worth having in your building, don’t you agree?